The leaving collection that costs nobody anything
A leaving collection usually means money: everyone puts something in, someone buys a present, and it's handed over at the leaving party. It's a kind gesture, but it has its limits. Interns and new starters often don't know what to give, the organiser spends days chasing people, and the present, however well chosen, tends to end up on a shelf.
There's another kind of collection, one that people fill with what they know about your colleague rather than with money: a collection of recommendations. Everyone on the team writes what they valued in your colleague's work, what they learnt from them and what they'll remember. The person leaving gets them all at once, on their last day, and keeps them on their profile for future interviews.
That's how the Leaving Pack from Take Your Skills works. Here's what it changes for you:
- it's free for everyone: you, the people taking part and the person leaving;
- nobody has to wonder how much to give, so everyone takes part on equal terms;
- there's one link to share, and remote colleagues join in like everyone else;
- it all stays secret until you hand it over, at a moment you choose;
- the gift doesn't get forgotten: written recommendations help with every job application, long after the party.
Setting up the collection of recommendations, step by step
It only takes a few minutes, and your colleague sees nothing until the day you've chosen:
If the team also wants to put money in, the money pot plugs into the same pack. Start a collection on whichever online money pot site you prefer, then, in the Leaving Pack, turn on the money pot and paste its link. Your colleagues then have just one page to open: they write their recommendation, suggest gift ideas, vote for their favourite and chip in.
- Create the Leaving Pack for your colleague, with their first name, their job title and a photo if you like.
- Copy the link to the pack and send it to the team by email, on the team chat or by text, leaving out the person who's leaving.
- Everyone writes their recommendation on a computer or a phone, with a free account and a sign-in code sent by email.
- You can see who has written something and send a reminder to those who haven't yet.
- On the day, you close the pack: your colleague gets every recommendation by email and finds them all on their profile.
Do you need a money pot as well?
Not necessarily. In many teams, recommendations, a card and some time together are more than enough, especially for a quiet departure or someone who doesn't like being the centre of attention.
A money pot makes sense when the team wants a gift that needs a real budget: an experience, something linked to a hobby, a lovely book for a retirement. In that case the two collections work together: the money buys the gift, and the recommendations say why the team is giving it.
For the collecting itself, an online money pot is better than an envelope going round the office. Nobody sees what anyone else gives, remote colleagues can join in easily, and you don't have to count cash or keep it in a drawer. Pick a site that lets you hide amounts and doesn't charge the people chipping in.
How much should you ask people to give?
There's no standard amount, and that's a good thing: the golden rule is to leave it up to each person. A suggested amount can help people who aren't sure what to give, as long as it's modest and you make it clear it's optional.
A few pointers so the collection doesn't make anyone uncomfortable:
- suggest a low range rather than a fixed amount, and say clearly that giving nothing is completely fine;
- never share a list of who gave what, or even of who took part;
- think of interns, apprentices and part-time colleagues, for whom the same amount doesn't mean the same thing;
- choose the gift once the collection has closed, based on what's come in, rather than the other way round;
- remind people they can also take part by writing a recommendation.
Choosing the gift as a team
A good leaving gift says something about the person leaving. Rather than deciding on your own, ask the team: the people who worked with your colleague every day know their hobbies, their habits and their running jokes.
Suggest two or three ideas, then let people vote. A retirement calls for something for all that free time, a move to another company for something useful in the new job, the end of an internship for something that helps with landing a first job. For ideas by budget and by person, have a look at our leaving gift ideas for a colleague.
With the money pot in the Leaving Pack, this all happens in the same place as the recommendations: everyone suggests gift ideas and votes for their favourite, so the collection knows exactly what it's paying for.
When to start the collection, and when to close it
Start the collection as soon as the leaving date is known and your colleague has shared the news themselves. The more time the team has, the more thought goes into the recommendations, and the fewer reminders you'll need to send.
Set a deadline a few days before you hand everything over: you'll need time to buy the gift if the team has put money in, and to send one last reminder. The collection of recommendations can stay open until the very end: you close it in one click, at the party or on the last day.
If the departure is very close, don't give up. A clear message, a single link and a short deadline are usually enough to get most of the team on board.
Messages to announce the collection, straightforward
For an email to the whole team or to several departments. Replace the parts in square brackets, and check that the person leaving isn't on the list.
Subject: leaving collection for [Name]. Hi everyone, as you know, [Name] is leaving the team on [date]. To say thank you, we're putting together a collection of recommendations: everyone writes what they valued in [Name]'s work, and [Name] will get them all on their last day. It's all here: [link]. Please keep it a surprise!
Hi all, [Name] is leaving us on [date] for a new adventure. We've started a leaving collection for them, which you can join until [date] using this link: [link]. You can write a recommendation and, if you'd like to, chip in for the gift. There's no expected amount.
Subject: [Name]'s leaving, a gift from the team. Hi everyone, to mark [Name]'s years with us, the team is giving them a collection of recommendations they can keep and show in future interviews. A few sentences about working together is all it takes: [link]. Deadline: [date].
Hi everyone, [Name] is retiring on [date]. To celebrate a wonderful career, we're gathering messages and recommendations from everyone who has worked with [Name], along with a money pot for a gift. Here's the link: [link]. Take part in whatever way suits you.
Warm or lightly funny messages
For a close team, the announcement can set the tone. Keep the humour about the office or the team's habits, never about the person or why they're leaving.
[Name] is leaving, and there's no way we're letting them go empty-handed. Today's mission: write them a recommendation that makes them want to come back and visit. It's all here, in secret: [link].
Attention, team: [Name] has found the exit. Before it's too late, put the most valuable thing you have into their collection: what you really think of their work. It's free, and it's here: [link].
Who's going to find the files everyone thinks are lost now? Nobody. To thank [Name] for rescuing us so many times, let's each write them a recommendation: [link]. Please reply by [date]. Tissues optional.
[Name]'s leaving collection is open! Just one rule: don't tell [Name]. Write your recommendation, suggest a gift, vote for the best idea, and chip in if you'd like to: [link].
Operation Goodbye. Code name: [Name]. Deadline: [date]. Mission: tell them everything we never said often enough. Meeting point: [link].
Short messages for the team chat
On the team chat, a sentence or two is plenty. Set up a group without the person leaving, and check the recipient twice before you hit send.
[Name]'s leaving collection is open until [date]: [link]. Write a recommendation, and chip in for the gift if you want to. Shh!
Quick reminder: there are only a few days left to write your recommendation for [Name] before they go. It only takes a few minutes: [link].
Top secret, please don't forward to [Name]: their leaving collection is waiting for you here, [link].
Not sure what to write for [Name]? Describe a moment you worked on together, something you learnt from them, or what you'll miss. Here's the link: [link].
Reminders that don't nag
One reminder, two at most, and never name names. Mention the deadline and what the collection will mean to your colleague, rather than counting who hasn't joined in.
Hi everyone, [Name]'s leaving collection closes on [date]. If you haven't had a chance to write your recommendation yet, now's the time: [link]. Thanks to everyone who already has, it's going to mean a lot to [Name].
Last call for [Name]: we're handing over the collection tomorrow at the party. A few sentences is all it takes, and they'll matter for a lot longer than you think: [link].
For anyone who missed the first message: [Name] leaves on [date], and the team is putting together a collection of recommendations, plus an optional, anonymous money pot for the gift. It's all here: [link].
Thanking everyone who took part
Once the collection has been handed over, a short thank-you message goes down well with the whole team, especially if you share how your colleague reacted.
Thank you, everyone! [Name] has received their leaving collection, and there were a few tears. Your recommendations will go with them wherever they go next.
[Name]'s collection has been handed over. Thanks to you, we were able to give them [the gift] and, above all, recommendations from the whole team. Thank you for your generosity and your lovely words.
Mission accomplished: [Name] is leaving with a gift chosen by the team and recommendations to show anyone. Thank you for joining in, and for keeping the secret right to the end.
Thank you for taking part in [Name]'s collection. [Name] asked me to pass this on: [their message].
Common mistakes
Leaving collections that go wrong almost always go wrong for the same reasons:
- Posting the announcement in a channel the person leaving can see.
- Making it compulsory to give money, or letting people think it is.
- Showing who gave and how much.
- Starting the collection the day before, when half the team is already on holiday.
- Forgetting remote colleagues, other departments and former colleagues they were close to.
- Handing over cash or a gift card without a single message from the team.
Handing over the collection on the day
Pick a moment when the team is together: the leaving party, a lunch, or a video call if part of the team works remotely. If you need help planning it, follow our guide to organising a leaving party.
With a Leaving Pack, the easiest thing is to close it during the party: your colleague gets every recommendation by email and can read one or two out to the team, or keep them for later, somewhere quiet. Hand over the gift straight afterwards, with a few words on what your colleague brought to the team. For help with those, our farewell speech guide has lines ready to use.